1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a technique for using SONAR-based volumetric flow/gas volume fraction (VF/GVF) metering to industrial processing; and more particularly, this invention also relates to using SONAR-based VF/GVF metering in a mineral extraction processing system, including extracting a mineral from ore.
2. Description of Related Art
In many industrial processes the sorting, or classification, of product by size is critical to overall process performance. A minerals processing plant, or beneficiation plant, is no exception. In the case of a copper concentrator as shown in FIG. 1a, the input to the plant is water and ore (of a particular type and size distribution) and the outputs are copper concentrate and tailings. The process consists of a grinding, classification, floatation, and thickening, as shown in FIG. 1b. The grinding and classification stage produces a fine slurry of water and ore, to which chemicals are added prior to being sent to the flotation stage. Once in the flotation stage, air is used to float the copper mineral while the gange (tailings) is depressed. The recovered copper is cleaned and dried. The tailings are thickened and sent to the tailings pond. The classification stage is critical to the performance of two areas of the process. These areas are the grinding throughput and flotation recovery, grade and throughput.